How Tall Are You, Really?

Summary

Students will determine their height in cents (pennies) by developing a measurement standard.

Coin Type(s)

Cent

Nickel

Dime

Quarter

Coin Program(s)

Generic

Objectives

Students will extend their understanding of the process of measurement.

Students will estimate, make and use measurements to describe and compare.

Students will extend their understanding of the concept of length.

Students will develop procedures for determining measures to solve problems.

Major Subject Area Connections

Math

Grades

Third grade

Fourth grade

Fifth grade

Class Time

Sessions: OneSession Length:
30-45 minutesTotal Length:
0-45 minutes

Groupings

Whole group

Individual work

Terms and Concepts

Coins

Estimation

Measurement

Money

Multiplication

Materials

Math Journals for each student

For each group of 4 students you will need:

A large number of cents

Measuring tapes

Calculators

Have the students estimate how many cents, stacked on top of each other, it would take to equal their own height.

Have the students place cents in a stack and measure the stack until it reaches an inch in height. Then have the students compare their results as a class and determine an average number so the whole class uses the same standard.

Using the class standard, have the students measure each other's height and then individually calculate that measurement's equivalent in stacked cents. Have the students record this information in their math journals.

On a separate sheet of paper to be turned in, have the students answer the following questions:

How many cents did you determine were in a stack of one inch?

How many cents would there be in a stack as tall as you?

How many dollars does that equal?

Explain your answers. Describe and illustrate your strategy.

Enrichments/Extensions

Have students repeat this activity finding their height using nickels, dimes or quarters.

Have students place the coins side by side.

Use the responses to the questions to assess whether the students have met the lesson objectives.

4.MD.1. Know relative sizes of measurement units within one system of units including km, m, cm, kg, g, lb, oz, l, ml, hr, min and sec. Within a single system of measurement, express measurements in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit. Record measurement equivalents in a two column table.

For example, know that 1ft is 12 times as long as 1in. Express the length of a 4ft snake as 48in. Generate a conversion table for feet and inches listing the number pairs (1, 12), (2, 24), (3, 36), ...

4.MD.2. Use the four operations to solve word problems involving distances, intervals of time, liquid volumes, masses of objects, and money, including problems involving simple fractions or decimals, and problems that require expressing measurements given in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit. Represent measurement quantities using diagrams such as number line diagrams that feature a measurement scale.

4.MD.3. Apply the area and perimeter formulas for rectangles in real world and mathematical problems. For example, find the width of a rectangular room given the area of the flooring and the length, by viewing the area formula as a multiplication equation with an unknown factor.

Discipline: MathematicsDomain: All Problem SolvingCluster: Instructional programs from kindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students toGrade(s):
Grades K–12
Standards:

develop and use strategies to estimate the results of whole-number computations and to judge the reasonableness of such results;

develop and use strategies to estimate computations involving fractions and decimals in situations relevant to students' experience;

use visual models, benchmarks, and equivalent forms to add and subtract commonly used fractions and decimals; and

select appropriate methods and tools for computing with whole numbers from among mental computation, estimation, calculators, and paper and pencil according to the context and nature of the computation and use the selected method or tools.

Discipline: MathematicsDomain: 3-5 Number and OperationsCluster: Understand meanings of operations and how they relate to one another.Grade(s):
Grades K–12
Standards:

In grades 3–5 all students should

understand various meanings of multiplication and division;

understand the effects of multiplying and dividing whole numbers;

identify and use relationships between operations, such as division as the inverse of multiplication, to solve problems; and

understand and use properties of operations, such as the distributivity of multiplication over addition.